A Loss of Hope
by Classic Cowboy
Summary: 4 years before the Battle of Yavin, Kanan has almost taught Ezra everything he knows to teach him. And with a chance to turn the tables on Inquisitor and find Ezra's parents, the crew faces a very high price. Will the Ghost crew be able to rise from the horrible tragedy? Hera/Kanan and some Ezra/Sabine. (UPDATED TO GO ALONG WITH REBELS SEASON FINALE)


**_IMPORTANT NOTE_: After watching the season finale, I rewrote portions of this story so it'll mesh with season 1 in its entirety. What comes in season 2 may OR may not push this into AU. Likely it will, but I am trying to predict the direction the series will go. I've been pretty close so far, if I do say so myself :p **

**I Don't own Star Wars Rebels, any and all use of characters are for entertainment purposes only and not for financial gain. "Aay'han" was written by Jesse Harlin.**

**Here are the incomplete plans for my Rebels "Expanded Universe" chronology: (BBY = Before Battle of Yavin/ ABY = After Battle of Yavin ). It is tentative and can change.**

**5 years BBY – "Star Wars Rebels season 1" (Disney XD series)**

**5 years BBY – "The Truth in the Lies" (In Progress - Part One of the Mandalore Trilogy)**

**4 years BBY – "The Loss of Hope" (Completed and Updated)**

**0 years BBY – "A New Hope" (In Progress part 1 of the Star Wars Trilogy) **

**0 years BBY – "Blood and Water" (working title – coming soon)**

**2 years ABY - "Revenge of the Death Watch" ( working title - coming soon – Part 2 of the Mandalore Trilogy)**

**3 years ABY – "The Empire Strikes Back" (coming soon – part 2 of the Star Wars Trilogy)**

**3 years ABY – "Rise of the Duchess" (coming soon – part 3 of the Mandalore Trilogy)**

**4 years ABY – "The Return of the Jedi" (coming soon – part 3 of the Star Wars Trilogy)**

**5 years ABY – "Wedding Bells" (Coming soon)**

**9 years ABY "The Thrawn Crisis" (Coming soon)**

**Warning: contains character death. **

**Star Wars Rebels  
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"**A Loss of Hope"  
>Prologue to New Hopes<strong>

_**Lothal… 4 years BBY**_

Chopper whooped as he grabbed a few more cartons from the large container, he spun several times before tossing them toward the sixteen year old Jedi Padawan. With a blindfold over his ocean blue eyes, Ezra Bridger grabbed his customized lightsaber from his belt and with three rapid movements, sliced the incoming cartons in half.

"Kid's getting good," his quarters-mate Garazeb Orrelios said, to the young female Mandalorian sitting on the grass beside him watching the training. "Don't you think, Sabine? Sabine? Hey!"

"Huh? You say something?" Sabine Wren jumped and glanced to her crewmate.

"Distracted, were you, Girl?" Zeb laughed, "The kid has came leaps and bounds huh?"

"Yeah," Sabine agreed, and then glanced to the young man's Jedi Master, former Padawan Kanan Jarrus. "You haven't really taught him anything new in a while, and about all the other tricks and techniques he has almost down pat. What's next, Mighty Jedi Master?"

Kanan said nothing but turned and walked toward the group's starship, the _Ghost_. The Mandalorian and Lasat watched him go, before glancing at each other in concern.

As Kanan walked through the halls of the ship, the words from Master Yoda at the Jedi Temple echoed in his mind.

_A dangerous time this is for your apprentice. For you._

_I know… I can sense it. I feel as if his abilities are growing faster I can teach him._

You sense or you fear?

I lost my way for a long time… but I have a chance to change things…

_A last… chance…_

"A last chance?" Kanan stopped before the door to the bridge of the ship. "What do you mean, Master?"

"Something bothering you, Love?"

Kanan turned to see the Twi'lek captain of the ship, Hera Syndulla. "Nothing…"

"Doesn't look like nothing to me," Hera said, opening the door and walking into the bridge of the ship. She took a seat in the pilot's chair and rotated the chair back toward the Jedi. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Kanan sat down roughly in the co-pilot's chair. "I don't know what else I can teach Ezra…"

"We've been through this, Love…" Hera touched his hand.

"No, you don't understand… literally, I've run out of things…" Kanan sighed, "In one year he has learned everything it took me years under my master to learn… yes, he's far from mastery but …" Kanan rubbed his face, "He's expecting me to teach him more and… I don't know what I can teach him."

"You worry too much," Hera smiled lovingly, "If you've taught him everything you know, help him build on it. You never know, Kanan. Maybe you two will learn something new together."

"I've thought of that, too," Kanan nodded, "It's just… I have a bad feeling… I sense something… and I've had… visions…"

"Vision?" Hera pressed, her bright green eyes focused solely on him.

"Lately… I've seen… and felt… Ezra in pain… great pain… I saw him on the floor… right here…" He motioned toward the center of the bridge, "His eyes look… lifeless and dead… Sabine's there, holding him… Zeb at his side… it's blurry, I can't tell if he's alive… or dead… or what's caused the pain."

"Oh Love…" Hera moved to him and wrapped him in a tight hug, "You know we'd never let anything happen to Ezra… you know you'd never let it…" She was cut off by an incoming message on her console. Kanan nodded toward the screen and she frowned when she read the word "Fulcrum" on the screen. She read the message as Kanan waited patiently. Kanan's eyes widened when she gasped and stood suddenly.

"Hera, what is it?" Kanan asked.

"Kanan, its Ezra's parents…" Hera glanced toward him worriedly, "Fulcrum… she's found them…"

Kanan started toward the door, "Call them in…"

-SW-

Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper entered the commons area and found Kanan and Hera waiting for them at the table.

"We have work?" Zeb asked, sitting down at his usual spot.

"This… is more of a personal mission," Hera replied softly, glancing toward Ezra, "And… more than likely a trap."

"If we know it's a trap, then it'd be stupid for us to just walk into it," Ezra shook his head, and Sabine nodded in agreement.

"We have info from Fulcrum…" Hera said, giving a hard glare to Sabine who rolled her eyes at the mention of the informant.

"Gee, that makes the info that much more reliable…" Sabine muttered, crossing her arms.

"Ahsoka isn't bad," Ezra stated, and Sabine bristled slightly at how her friend said the elder Jedi's name.

"It's…" Hera took a breath, glancing toward Kanan for a moment, before locking eyes with Ezra, "It's your parents… Ahsoka says he's found where they're being held… They're working on some top secret project on the planet Despayre…"

All eyes turned toward Ezra, and Sabine placed a hand on her friend's arm. "They're… alive?" he asked softly.

"We don't know if they are or not… they may not even be there…" Hera explained carefully.

"The only thing that's obvious is it's a trap," Kanan said, "The only one I can guarantee will be a fight waiting for us..."

The group sat in silence, and their eyes were on Ezra. It was his parents after all. "Ok so… There's a very good chance that this is just a trick… the Empire just wants us to come to him instead of continuing to chase us…"

Kanan nodded at his Padawan, "I'd say you're pretty close to being right on that."

"Then, let's turn it on him," Ezra smirked.

Kanan laughed and Hera smiled proudly. "Well, what do you know," Sabine said teasingly, slapping Ezra's shoulder, "The Kid's grown up. Alright, Jedi, what's the plan?"

The group gathered around the young man as he laid out his idea, everyone agreed with the dangerous yet sound plan, and Kanan gave a relieved sigh, perhaps he had already altered that vision, as Ezra seemed very capable of taking care of himself now. Yes, Kanan was very proud of his Padawan.

-SW-

The _Ghost_ came out of Hyperspace outside of orbit of the planet Despayre. "Pretty light military presence. But not that surprise, this was a very highly secure area. Only the highest level of Imperial military security access even knows of this world's existence…" Hera said as they slowed their approach, "This is where a good eighty to nighty percent of the slaves are taken to. Never could find out why…"

"If only the highest level access knows about this place," Sabine asked with a frown from her seat, "How did Fulcrum know about it?"

"If the Imps are that desperate to get rid of us, they'd leak the intel," Ezra stated, sitting back in his chair, and Kanan nodded in agreement. "They're obviously not expecting any of us to leave here alive."

"Then let's ruin their day," Kanan said, readying his lightsaber, "Whoever's heading this up is get in who knows how much trouble with the higher level for letting us know about this world…"

"Who is the higher level?" Ezra glanced to his master.

"Hope you never meet him face to face, Kid…" Kanan said, eyes focused on his lightsaber.

"So, what the Sith Spit are they building here that they don't even want people in the Empire to know about?" Zeb asked, and as they flew toward the planet another shape appeared in orbit of the planet. "I've… never seen a moon like that…" Zeb asked, as they all took a closer look.

"That's no moon…" Hera said gravely, looking closely at the nearly complete battle station dwarfing the small fleet of Star Destroyers around it.

"Um… we're not going there, are we, Hera?" Ezra gulped at the nightmarish weapon.

"No, the location is on the far side of the planet away from it," Hera stated, turning the _Ghost_ slightly away from the battle station, "Which is good. I'm pretty sure we'd be like a spice gnat trying to kill a TIE fighter…"

"Then, bring us in, Hera…" Kanan stood up, "C'mon, Ezra, let's get ready…"

"Don't be nervous," Kanan instructed, as they came to a stop, "Trust in the Force. Let it flow through you. Remember. There is no emotion, there is peace… There is no ignorance, there is knowledge… There is no passion, there is serenity, there is no chaos, there is harmony, there is no death…"

"There is the Force." Ezra finished with him with a smile. "And we're going to have a party on the way back to Lothal, Kanan, hopefully with my parents."

"You got it," Kanan nodded, then placed a hand on his shoulder and grew solemn. "And Ezra… I know I can't make it official… I wasn't knighted myself… but… as far as I'm concerned, Ezra Bridger. You're a Jedi."

Ezra stared at him in shock for a moment, before brushing his eye with his sleeve then moving in to grab his mentor in a hug. "Even more reason for us to celebrate when we come back."

-SW-

Kanan and Ezra walked calmly down the halls of the almost abandoned factory. "This is Spectre One and Spectre Six checking in. Remember the plan, we go in. The rest of you remain at the ship, Spectre Six style," Kanan spoke into his comlink, glancing toward his Padawan, who nodded in return.

Four Storm Troopers stood before the door leading to their target location, but the two Jedi approached them calmly and purposely.

"Halt! How did you get in here? You're under-" One of the troopers barked, but was cut off as Ezra and Kanan extended their arms and opened their hands, and all four troopers slammed into the wall behind them, and slid to the floor unconscious.

"This was almost too easy, even for a trap," Ezra stated, pulling a key card from the belt of one of the troopers.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Kanan frowned.

Ezra opened the door and they entered the large open chamber with a few levels of balconies along the circular walls. In the center their old enemy stood waiting with his back to them. "My favorite Jedi finally made it. I knew the proper bait would bring you walking blindly into my trap." The Inquisitor was in similar armor as the last they saw him, but his face was heavily burned and scared, with a cybernetic replacement to his right eye.

"He's alive?!" Ezra gasped, staring at the pale skinned Inquisitor.

"I'm impressed," Kanan crossed his arms, "You're almost as stubborn as we are."

"Almost, but not quite," Ezra pointed out.

"You surprised me, Jedi, the last time we faced one another, but I've had a year to prepare for this final meeting," The Inquisitor growled, "Your death is assured…"

"I seem to remember you saying similar the last time," Kanan said, drawing his lightsaber, "And last I checked we made it through just fine."

"As foolish as the Jedi that came before," Inquisitor laughed, "The Jedi Order's greatest failure was believing they could face their foes alone… We monitored your transmission. We know your allies remained on your ship, and it soon shall be surrounded and over ran…" As if on cue, the Inquisitor's com went off. "I am occupied… What? What do you mean it isn't where they landed… It doesn't matter…" the Inquisitor narrowed his yellow eyes on his enemies, "It doesn't matter where your ship moves to hide; you will all be killed. Beginning with you!" He snapped his fingers to signal his trap to be sprung. He blinked when nothing happened, "Assault Team Delta? Respond, where are you?" Inquisitor barked into his com, "Respond!"

Sabine walked out in her full purple and pink Mandalorian armor, including her helmet and leaned on the railing, "Were you looking for the Storm Troopers hiding up here?"

Hera walked out in the balcony across from the young Mandalorian and looked down at the surprised Inquisitor, "Or was it these guys up here? I'm sure they regret to disappoint you."

Zeb then jumped down from the top balcony and landed beside the two Jedi, followed by Sabine and Hera who were easily caught by Ezra and Kanan respectively with the Force. "All his bucket-head friends are down, Boss." Zeb stated, drawing his bo-rifle in staff mode.

"I don't understand… you ordered them to remain in the ship…" the Inquisitor glanced around the group.

"Yeah, Spectre Six style," Kanan placed a hand on his Padawan's shoulder.

"I never stay on the ship when they tell me to," Ezra smirked, unsnapping his lightsaber from his belt.

"You said the Jedi's greatest weakness was believing they could do it all on their own," Kanan smirked, assembling his lightsaber, and the two Jedi activated their blue/white blades with a _Pop Hiss_ "We've apparently learned from them." Kanan glanced around his team, lingering a moment longer on the Twi'lek at his side. "Let's finish this!" Kanan and Ezra rushed the Inquisitor and their blades hit the twin blades of his circular saber. The blades hissed and sparked as they collided. But before the Pau'an could up a counter offensive, the two Jedi side stepped him, and the Inquisitor was barely able to dodge the downward slash from Zeb's bo-rifle.

The Lasat did a series of spins and slashes, before flipping away himself, all the while Hera and Sabine supplied cover fire.

"Spectre Five!" Ezra called, and the Mandalorian glanced his way. "Ready for the Bomber Run Special?"

"Ez-Spectre Six, We only came up with that idea a month ago," Sabine shook her head, "And we only tried it once with paint bombs on Zeb while he was taking a nap."

"Something good BETTER come from that," Zeb snarled at the two teens as Kanan once again locked up into combat with the Pau'an and Hera attempted to keep him distracted with her blaster fire. "It took me two weeks to get all that paint off me!"

"I still don't know…" Sabine glanced toward the Inquisitor.

"Do you trust me, Sabine?" Ezra asked with a soft smile.

"Frag it…" she shook her head, taking a hand full of explosive and stun mini-bombs in each hand.

"No, Frag him!" Ezra said, pointing his saber toward the Dark Sider.

The Mandalorian took several steps back, and then ran forward, jumping into the air as if she was taking a swan dive. Ezra was ready, and held out his hand toward her. A flush covered her cheeks for reasons beyond her, and she was thankful her full-faced helmet was firmly in place as Ezra lifted her through the air. She could feel it, the Force covering her whole body. It was lifting her into the air, knowing Ezra was directing it, holding her safely in the air, and knowing he'd never let her fall.

Ezra directed her to fly directly overhead of the fight between his master and the Inquisitor. As she approached he called out to his Master. He nodded and back flipped away, "SABINE, DO IT NOW!" He called, and she brought her arms down around herself then swung them back out, tossing all the armed explosives in her hands, and tossed them at the distracted Inquisitor's head. A bright flash of colors exploded where the Inquisitor stood.

Ezra brought the girl on around back toward him, and she flipped gracefully in the air before touching down beside Hera. "Did that do it? Is it over?" Sabine asked, and Hera glanced to the two Force Sensitives of their group to find out. But when they gripped their lightsabers and focused their attention to the center of the dark cloud she knew that it was far from done.

Hera and Sabine were then thrown from their feet by a wave of the Force, unlike when Ezra lifted Sabine, she could tell the difference, when she felt the Force from Ezra she felt safe and protected, this was angry and violent, but the line of thought was cut off as she and Hera were slammed into the wall behind them, and slumped to the ground unconscious.

"No!" Ezra called out toward the girls.

"Hera!" Kanan cried out as well.

"Hera…" the Inquisitor asked, stepping out of the smoke, his armor was heavily damaged and he was bleeding profusely from wounds and his face and shoulders were heavily burned. "The Twi'lek I presume," the Inquisitor asked, "And the Mandalorian, her name is Sabine?" he asked, glancing to Kanan's apprentice. "Such… lovely names. I believe I will allow them to live. Such lovely females will make fine rewards for the leaders of our forces…"

Ezra growled and launched his assault in anger. "I won't let you touch either of them!" Ezra growled, as his saber collided with the Inquisitor's crimson blade yet again.

"Such anger and such passion," the Inquisitor grinned, "A powerful Sith you could become, boy."

"Like you know anything about becoming a Sith," Kanan aided his partner and friend in the assault. "There can be only two, Pau'an," Kanan smirked, seeing the Inquisitor's eyes widened, "The Emperor and Vader still live," Kanan smiled, pushing back against the blade, keeping the Inquisitor focused on him, as Ezra carefully positioned his specialized lightsaber hilt. "You think either of them will let you replace them as a true Sith Lord? As if you even had the power to do it."

"I am more powerful than you can possibly imagine, Jedi…" the Inquisitor allowed his anger to grow as he bared his teeth toward Kanan.

"Maybe," Ezra said, with a smile, "But you lack focus…" He said, closing one eye, and squeezing the trigger on his customized lightsaber, firing the blaster in the hilt, hitting the central portion of the lightsaber. The Pau'an screamed in shock as his lighter exploded in half, and the red blades flickered and died, destroying it not unlike his master did a year earlier.

"YOU INSOLENT WORM!" the Inquisitor lifted them both by the throats and slammed them against the far wall as his eyes widened in rare rage. "I WILL BREAK YOUR BODIES! AND THEN I WILL DESTROY YOUR WOMEN MIND THEN BODY RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! AND THEN, AND ONLY THEN, I WILL FINALLY END YOUR PATHETIC EXISTANCES!"

"You're… forgetting… something…" Ezra choked out.

"AND WHAT MIGHT THAT BE, JEDI?!" Inquisitor asked, growling insanely.

"Me." Zeb stated directly behind him, having shifted his bo-rifle back into its rifle mode, and pressed it against back of the Inquisitor's head. "Deflect this." Countless rogue former Jedi from Padawan to Knights, even those who simply had connection to the force and not the will to become Inquisitors themselves, down to powerless Rebels. Men, women, children all slaughtered in the name of the Dark Side at the Pau'an's hand. Time seemed to freeze as memories of his various victories filled the Inquisitor's mind. He questioned what made these two Jedi and their followers so special? They were poorly trained, foolish, and short sighted. How could this be happening? Lord Vader and the Emperor pulled him from the wreckage of that Star Destroyer… repaired his body and had him retrained, just for this moment. And it all ended in failure? How was this possible? He felt the burning on the back of his skull as the blaster bolt struck his hairless scalp. Shirring pain washed through him as it penetrated his head. His yellow eyes widened in shock as his hands fell to the ground, and the two Jedi slid down the wall with them. He stood there for a moment, before he fell down to his knees. His diming eyes, still focused on the two Jedi that had caused him such frustration, before he slowly fell forward.

"It's over…" Ezra shook his head.

"Hera!" Kanan scrambled to his feet and ran to the Twi'lek.

"Kanan?" Hera opened her green eyes and smiled as she touched his chest, "I'm ok…" She said, but as the Jedi glanced over her to be sure, "I'm ok, Love."

Meanwhile, Ezra and Zeb went to Sabine, who gingerly took her helmet off and glanced at the blue eyed Jedi Padawan. "Did we get him?"

"Zeb did," Ezra pointed back at the one who had hunted him for over a year.

"It was a team effort," Kanan said with a smile, "We won together,"

"And that means we celebrate together!" Zeb said, as Hera climbed to her feet, favoring her ribs.

Sabine made it to her feet, shaking off much of her soreness and pain easily. "What I'd give to be young again…" Hera smirked at her younger friend, and then glanced to Ezra with a motherly smile, "Ready to go get your parents?" She handed him the detailed info. "See if they're really there…" she then turned to Kanan who looked like he didn't want to leave her side, "Go with him, Love, in case he sees something he doesn't need to…"

"Hera, before anything else happens, I need to tell you…" Kanan started to say, but she put a finger on his lips.

"I know what you're going to say… and I feel the same way for you, Love," Hera smiled affectionately, "We can talk about it on the way home tonight…"

Ezra studied the intel, then glanced up at the numbered cell blocks. "Looks like they're this way…"

"Let's get this done… I look forward to telling your parents the hero you've become." Kanan smiled, placing a hand on the youth's shoulder as they made their way to the door. "Do the honors?"

The doors slid open and Kanan's eyes widened in pure terror as the sound of a breathing apparatus filled the air. "EZRA! GET BEHIND ME!"

Ezra's eyes widened as another _pop hiss_ sounded and the darkened room before them was illuminated by an evil red light. And standing a few feet before them was a towering mechanical demon. Black cybernetic armor adorned his massive frame, with a mechanical control box on his chest with flashing buttons and switches, a foreboding cape draped his armored shoulders, and his face was completely hidden behind a monstrous breathing mask and hood-like helmet.

Kanan used the Force to throw Ezra back into Zeb's arms.

"Kanan!" Hera called, as Kanan back peddled as the Dark Lord of the Sith himself walked into the chamber. The dark red eye coverings of his mask glanced around the room, at each of them, before settling on Kanan who stood before him, his lightsaber drawn and ready.

"Caleb Dume," The Sith's deep synthetic voice cut to each of their very souls. "Your pathetic attempt at rebellion has come to an end."

"Zeb, get them out of here, NOW!" Kanan yelled at the Lasat.

"Like we're leaving you, Boss," Zeb yelled back as Ezra relit his lightsaber. "We'll just team smack down this guy like we did the other one!"

"This is different, Zeb," Kanan said, keeping a good distance from the Sith Lord, "This is the one who almost single-handedly wiped out the Jedi Order…"

"You mean…" Zeb's eyes widened in recognition.

"Darth Vader…" Sabine whispered softly.

"Get them to the _Ghost!_" Kanan ordered, taking a fighting stance, "I'll hold off the Traitor…" He narrowed his eyes angrily.

"We're not leaving you!" Hera yelled in panic at the thought of Kanan facing Vader alone.

"GO! NOW!" Kanan shouted, "Zeb get them to the ship! Now! I'll… I'll be right behind you. I promise."

"You heard the boss, let's go…" Zeb said reluctantly.

"Master…" Ezra said gripping his lightsaber.

"Ezra, you have to make sure Hera's safe for me. I promise; I'm not going to leave any of you." Kanan said, not taking his eyes off the Sith Lord.

Ezra studied his master for several moments before he growled a curse, and grabbed Hera's arm, "Let's go. We have to get the Ghost ready to go. Kanan's not going to do anything stupid…" Ezra said, but still had to use the Force to help him pull Hera toward the exit, but she fought every step of the way, keeping her eyes on the Jedi Hero standing between them and the face of everything they feared for as long as she possibly could.

"You call me the traitor?" Vader asked once they were alone, showing no fear of the man before him. "Your naivety is laughable."

Their lightsabers met, Vader was relaxed and simply blocked and deflected Kanan's desperate attacks. "Am I the one who raided the Republic Councilor's Office in the middle of the night?" Vader asked, deflecting a upward slash. "Am I the one who attempted to murder a man without trial or due process?"

"You must listen to this truth, and accept it, Caleb Dume," Vader said, locking up his saber with Kanan's and bending down toward him, "The Republic was a dying corpse… and the Jedi was corrupted and overwhelmed by the Dark Side of the Force." He shoved Kanan back, "Had I allowed them to kill the Councilor, the corruption would continue to fester. The Jedi would become a greater threat to the Universe than the combined history of the Sith put together. What I have done was for the safety of the Galaxy, for peace, and for justice."

"So you murdered them all… man, woman and child…" Kanan growled back, "And what about Anakin Skywalker… He was the best of us, and you betrayed him, you murdered the greatest hero the Jedi or the Republic had ever known!"

Vader seemed to hesitate a moment, and then he replied in an even darker tone than before, "Skywalker was the most corrupted of them all."

Kanan launched another attack, his anger at the destruction of his people getting the better of him, "The anger in you makes you strong, Caleb Dume…"

"Save it, I'll NEVER fall to the Dark Side…" Kanan growled back.

"Then you leave me no choice," Vader finally took a fighting stance.

-SW-

Once they got to the _Ghost_, Hera ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the cockpit, and fired up the engines. Ezra sat down in the copilot seat and started working at the controls as well. "Sabine, can you get the exact location of where Kanan's fighting?" Hera said, as her trembling hands worked at the controls. They had to make it back to him.

They had to.

"Got it," Sabine said, as Chopper made some whooping sounds and a serious of beeps.

"Not now, Chop," Hera said as the _Ghost_ took off.

Hera brought the freighter around, and started flying toward Kanan's last location, arming the ship guns as they went.

Ezra was focused forward when he stood up suddenly. "Kanan?"

Hera glanced up at him, but focused back on the control, praying to the Force, or any deity that existed in the stars. "No, Kanan, no, we're on our way to get you… you can tell her yourself…" Ezra said as he shook his head, taking an unconscious step back.

"Master please… please…" Ezra begged, "We're almost there… stay on the defensive… we'll be there in just a few minutes…" Ezra begged as Sabine and Zeb watched him silently. Hera trembling hands gripped the yoke of the ship, tears beginning to go down her cheek. They had to make it in time. She had to make it in time…

_Take care of them…" _Kanan told Ezra through the Force, "_Take care of Hera for me. I believe in you, Ezra. You'll be a powerful Jedi one day… And Ezra… May… May the Force be with you… Always…_

"Master…" Ezra asked out loud, as tears filled his blue eyes. Ezra's eyes widened as pain went through his bond with Kanan, he gripped his left arm at the elbow and screamed in pain.

"EZRA!" Sabine jumped to her feet, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Zeb got up as well, and touched the boy's arm.

"Kanan…" Ezra breathed, as he gripped his abdomen feeling a hot burn as if he was stabbed by a lightsaber as well. "No…"

"Please no…" Hera closed her eyes tight as Ezra fell backwards into Sabine's arms, and she lowered him to the ground in her lap, cradling him.

"We're… we're too late aren't we?" Zeb asked, closing his eyes, and Hera glanced back and saw the scene Kanan had described from his vision that morning. With a half roar half sob Hera pulled the yoke and the _Ghost_ shot up toward the stars. She set a course for Lothal, and the only sound the entire trip was the sound of broken hearted sobs.

-SW-

Ezra sat in Kanan's room, staring at his lightsaber. He knew they had landed several hours ago. Hera had said that she would take one of his empty suits and use it for the traditional Jedi funeral pyre, even though the body was absent. And the group had split up to prepare their finest to give their final respects to their leader.

He glanced up as he heard the door open, and saw Hera standing there with a small box. "Kanan… would… he'd want you to have these." She said, placing the box beside him on Kanan's bed.

He looked at her a moment, before opening it and his eyes widened. "These were his Jedi Robes. They should fit you. He was around your age when he wore them last…" She said sadly, her eyes hadn't been tear free since… it happened.

"Thank you…" Ezra said softly, and Hera nodded and took a moment to touch the young man's face, gently tracing the scars on his cheek with her thumb for a moment before she left him to finish her own preparation for the funeral.

Ezra stripped from his orange-brown jump suit and put on the tan tunic and slacks, the dark brown leather boots, fastened the belt, and hooked his lightsaber. Next he pulled out the dark brown hooded robe, and put it on, letting the hood hang upon his shoulders. He glanced up to see Zeb coming out of their shared room, dressed in what Ezra assumed was his uniform as a Lasat Honor Guard. Before he could ask his friend anything, Sabine's quarters door open, and she walked out in a dark crimson suit of Mandalorian ceremonial armor, with matching helmet under her arm.

Zeb and Sabine looked over Ezra in Kanan's Jedi Robes and nodded approvingly. "Being a Jedi suits you, Kid," Zeb gave a soft smile as he slapped Ezra on back.

"You guys look nice, too…" Ezra sniffed, glancing toward the exit, "This isn't exactly the celebration we had planned…"

The last closed door open, and Hera walked out, and while she was dressed in one of her nicest skirts, one that Kanan had always complimented her on. She was standing tall, but you could see in her sad green eyes that she was barely holding it together. "No, no it wasn't, Kid…" Zed shook his head.

The group fell in step behind Hera as they walked out to the prepared pyre. Moments later speeders and small crafts landed around them. The people of Lothal that they had helped, that Kanan had helped gathered in a large circle around the pyre. No words were spoken, but several released soft sobs of regret and remorse. Finally, Ezra and Zeb walked forward toward the pyre. Silently Ezra reached for his lightsaber, activated the blade with and held the blue light high above the pyre. Zeb watched Ezra standing tall with his saber held high for a moment, before he turned to the pyre and lit the wood. A moment later the pyre was engulfed in flames.

Ezra held his saber in salute for several moments, before he disengaged the blade, returned it to his belt. He returned to Hera's side, who was now visibly trembling.

A moment later, Sabine stepped forward, the flames reflecting on her shinned Mandalorian armor. She looked up into the flame for several moments before she began to half sing half chant. "Motir ca'tra nau tracinya." Ezra watched her and listened to her pretty voice closely as she sang a funeral chant of her people. "Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a." She sang on, and Hera's knees gave out and she released a heartbreaking cry. Ezra was there to catch her, and held her close to him, as she cried into the young man's chest.

"I love you, Caleb…" Hera cried into Ezra's chest as he held her tightly, "I'll always love… always…"

"Cuun hett su..." Sabine finished her chant, and stepped back to her friends' sides.

Hera remained in Ezra's arms, and they cried together for the remainder of the pyre burning. As the fire began to die down, those who came to pay their respects passed the flame, and went to the crew, offering their thanks and their respects. It wasn't long before the crew was by themselves.

"Ezra…" Hera finally whispered in Ezra's arms.

"Yes?" Ezra replied to the heartbroken Twi'lek.

"Promise me…" She gripped his robes, "Promise me that you will never… NEVER face Vader…" She asked; her blood shot eyes staring into his tearful ones.

"I…" Ezra closed his eyes, "I can't promise that. I'm a Jedi… like my Master before me. I'll do what I have to do. Just like you will. But I can promise I'll be careful… is that ok?" He asked, and she silently held on to the young man a little tighter.

She nodded, and Sabine and Zed closed in around them as well, and as a family they mourned for the terrible price they've had to pay.

-SW-

Ezra roared as his lightsaber collided with the much larger Sith Lord's crimson one. Darth Vader was obviously more powerful, as he wasn't even flinching from the full power attacks the young Jedi was administering.

"And with you, the Jedi will at last be extinct," Darth Vader growled, swiping at the youth with his lightsaber. Ezra barely was able to get his saber up to deflect the attack.

"You'll never win!" Ezra barked back.

"While your faith in the Light Side of the Force is admirable," Vader stated, taking a high stance, "You do not know the POWER of the Dark Side…"

Ezra released a roar as he jumped toward his enemy but the Sith Lord was ready, his saber swiped up, and Ezra cried out in pain as his arm with his lightsaber was cut off at the elbow and went flying across the shadowy chamber. He gripped his arm and fell down to his knees. "And so, the Jedi ends…" Vader said, pushing his saber through Ezra's abdomen.

"NO!" Sabine sat up in her bed, soaked with sweat and trembling in terror.

Once she caught her breath, she looked at the chronometer. It was three in the morning, but she couldn't even begin to close her eyes yet. The nightmare was too fresh. The thought of that… monster taking Ezra too, it was too much.

Sabine had a feeling Ezra would likely be even less able to sleep than she was at the moment, so she climbed from the bed, not even bothering to put on more than her shorts and tunic. She started for the door but stopped, and went back to her bed, and pulled out a painting she had finished some time ago, but was saving it for Ezra's birthday. This was as good of a time as ever to give it to him.

She exited her quarters, and heard a soft sobbing from the commons area. She silently padded her way there and found Hera seated on the bench seat with her head lying on the table. And her hand was on the table as well, still grasping an empty bottle of Corellian whiskey, and she was softly crying in her sleep. Sabine frowned sadly, before finding a blanket and placing it over her mentor's shoulders. "Thanks, Love…" Hera whispered in her sleep, "I missed you…"

Sabine then moved on to Ezra and Zeb's cabin, but only found Zeb snoring loudly in his bed. Ezra's was still made and not even slept in. "Where is he?" Sabine frowned, then she saw a light coming Kanan's old cabin. She made her way there and opened the door, finding Ezra sitting on Kanan's bed, holding a holocron. "Hey…" She said softly as she padded into the room.

"Hey…" Ezra gave her a sad smile as she walked in and sat down next to him.

"You ok?" She asked, studying his profile as he looked at the cube in his hand.

"No, not even close," Ezra shook his head, "But I think I will be eventually."

"I have you something," She said, holding out the painting. "I was inspired by your training, and was going to give this to you on your birthday… but thought it would be a good time now."

"You didn't have to… Sabine…" his eyes widened at the painted portrait. It was a painting of him and Kanan standing shoulder to shoulder, halfway to back to back, both were wearing traditional Jedi Knight garb, and their lightsabers were drawn, giving them a blue coloring from their light.

"I call this one _Return of the Jedi_, I really figured I'd see you two like this in person…" Sabine said softly. "You know… he was really proud of you." She said resting her head on his shoulder. "I am… we are too. You've come a long way. Ezra."

"This means a lot to me, Sabine," Ezra said, gazing at his Master in the portrait. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sabine smiled softly.

"Sabine… did… did Kanan ever show you this?" Ezra said sitting the painting to the shelf, and lifted the holocron.

"No, Kanan mostly kept his Jedi stuff to himself…" Sabine replied, gazing at the object.

"Here…" Ezra said, closing his eyes, and the cube floated from his hand. It disassembled and a holograph of a bearded Jedi Master appeared before them.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," the hologram stated, "I regret to inform that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen with the Dark Shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder to any surviving Jedi. Trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged… our trust… our faith… our friendships. But, we must persevere. And in time… a New Hope will emerge. May the Force be with you … Always."

"Wow…" Sabine said as the cube reassembled, and floated back to Ezra's hand.

"Yeah, was really cool when I first saw it, too," Ezra said, then frowned sadly as a tear began to swell in his eye. "You know… I thought for a long time… the new hope he was talking about… was Kanan."

"I… don't think I could have believed it was Kanan even if I had seen this when Kanan was still alive…" Sabine shook her head slightly, then unconsciously slid her arms around Ezra's waist. "Have you ever considered that maybe … Master Kenobi was talking about…" She glanced up at him with pure faith in her brown eyes, "you?"

"I don't know about that…" Ezra felt his cheek heat up. "I'm having a hard time… even having hope right now…"

"Well, I believe in you, so even if you're not the only part of this hope…" Sabine moved her cheek to a more comfortable position on his shoulder, "You have definitely brought hope to me."

She smiled as she held her friend tightly, "And if there is someone else out there to be this new hope he's talking about…" Sabine said softly, "With you around, he or she has big shoes to fill."

Meanwhile, across the Outer Rim, in a desolate, desert world, a young man, the same age as Ezra sat on a small ridge, gazing up at twin suns; longing for the day he could travel to the stars and see the worlds beyond.

"Luke! It's time for dinner!" an older woman walked out of their home.

"Coming, Aunt Beru!" the boy stood up, gave the sky one last look, before going home for dinner.

**To Be Continued in "STAR WARS REBELS: A New Hope" **

Special shout out to some great writers and stories already in the Star Wars Rebels section: Rassilon001's "Ghost of a Chance", Grawman67's "Star Wars Rebels: Cold, "Xeno Sapian's "The Kessel Run, Slayzer's "Blind Trust", BespectacledSloth's "Wreckage", Lombax901's "Compulsion", cstar7777's "Foibles" among many others which are awesome reads. Give them a read through, really good writing! Thanks for the read.

Also, if anyone wonders, Sabine's song at Kanan's funeral:

Aay'han (Mandalorian Funeral Chant)  
>Mando'a: Motir ca'tra nau 'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Cuun hett su...<p>

English: Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Burns brighter still...

May the Force be with you. Always.


End file.
